A prolific opening batsman since his Under-13 days with Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore, Mayank Agarwal modelled his style of batting on Virender Sehwag. Agarwal struck 432 runs at an average of 54 in five matches in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in 2008-09 and hit a match-winning 160 for India Under-19s, in a one-dayer against Australia Under-19s in Hobart in 2009.

Agarwal was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Under-19 World Cup for India in 2010, top-scoring for his side in the tournament. Agarwal then graduated to the India A sides, but struggled for consistency. Initially pigeonholed as a limited-overs specialist, Agarwal made his Ranji Trophy debut for Karnataka in the 2013-14 season; he made his T20 debut in 2010-11 and List A debut in 2011-12.

In the 2014-15 season, he was in the running to open for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy, but was benched halfway through the season. According to Rahul Dravid, who worked with Agarwal in the India A side, it was a "wake-up call" for the opener. Agarwal lost weight in the off season, worked hard on his fitness, and scored his maiden first-class century the following season.

He spent three seasons in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore, from 2011 to 2013, scoring 492 runs in 35 matches, before moving to Delhi Daredevils in 2014. His stint with Daredevils was fairly muted in his first two seasons.ESPNcricinfo staff

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